William vas



(No Model.) l

W. lVAN ANDBN.V

VEHICLE SPRING.

l y YPatented Feb..v 19, 1884.

Jyfz y V UNITED STATES WILLIAM vAN ANDEN, voE NEW Yoan, ln. Y.

vEHloLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NQ. eeaseauated February19, i884 Application filed December 21, 1883. (No model.) A

.To a/ ZZ whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM VAN ANDEN,

u of New York city, in the State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvej resented in section.

ments Relating to Carriage-Springs, of which the following is aspecification.

The principal object of the invention is to produce ashort and lightspring which will give a great amount of elasticity or vibration to thecarriage-body, and one that can be easily applied and will occupy but asmall flat space. In narrow light buggies or other light vehicles othermeans have been resorted to* viz., ordinary light springs applied to thebody of a wagon at the opposite sides and crossing each other-in orderto get sufficient length Vto the spring, so that sufficient vibrationmay be obtained., With my spring I produce the desired effect by foldingthe metal in such a manner as to produce a much greater vibration thanby an ordinary 1eaf-spring, and it is attached in the same manner to thebottom of a vehicle at any desirable place, one endv to the body andtheother to the side bar or other suitable place. It enables a short-springto do the work of alongone. The improvement may be applied to heavywagons and vehicles of nearly every kind; but I deem it more especiallydesirable for light buggies, and will describe, it as so applied. I foldthe steel in horizontal bends, holding the several convolutions out ofcontact each with the other, and in what I `esteem the most completeform of the invention `make the convolutions greater l as the distancefrom the supporting-bearing increases. There is a tendency in suchsprings to concentrate the strain too much in the short bends which areformed. I have devised peculiar means of re-enforcing .the bends. The

folds or bends may be single or duplex. I prethis speciiication, andrepresent what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure l is a rear View, showing two of the springs attached to the bodyof a wagon and connecting it with longitudinal side bars, rep- Fig. 2 isa side elevation of a springE detached. This gure ison a i larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a spring corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 3a is asection on the line y y in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is on a still larger scale. Itis a cross-section through one ofthe bends with the re-enforcing meansapplied. Fig. 5 is a diagram intended to show, somewhat exaggerated, theupset condition of the spring at the several folds. The remaining guresrepresent modications. Fig. 6 is a side elevation; and Fig. 7 a planView, showing a form in which the spring is made in a single part. Fig.8 is a cross-section on the line x x in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a sideelevation, and Fig. l0 a cross-section showing a modication in the meansof attaching my single spring to the carriage-body. Fig. l1 is acrossseetion showing a modification in the re-enforcing of the quickbends.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures where they occur.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is the spring entire, certain portionsbeing distinguished by additional marks, as Al A2, Sto.

A are eyes formed by bending the material around. l

A2 are straight parallel portion.

-A3 are folds of the two parts extending in opposite directions, eachbeing formed by an extension of the material out at right angles to thegeneral line of the spring .to a little distance, then making a quickbend and returning. j. rAare corresponding but longer folds formed inthe Asame manner-*that is to say, the material of the two parts of thespring, after being extended out a considerable distance in oppositedirections and returned again, make quick bends at the points where theyapproach -each other and again extend outward, this tin'ie'to a greaterdistance than before, and again return. There may be a-third pair offolds, or a fourth, if desired, in any case, in each of which the metalis extended out farther than ther last; but I esteem two suffioient forgeneral purposes. After making these several excursions the two partsare brought together and extended outward in the general line of thespring, making a small bend, sufficient to form proper `eyes to re- IOOA, of the spring.

ceive bolts. Vllat I have termed the two parts are formed from one barof steel con nected at the outer end.

B is the body of the buggy or other carriage to which the improvement isapplied.

C C are the side bars, encircled by clips which attach them to arms D,which may be more or less elastic, but which are relied upon mainly toserve as levers to communicate the action of the springs properly. Boltsand nutsE E secure the levers D rigidly to the outer end, Bolts G Gsecure the eyes A of the spring to a substantial portion of the bottomof the body B. Short bolts and nuts II H are inserted in the severalquick bends, as indicated. Each is equipped with a washer, 71 which aidsto give a broad bearing on the spring. The head of each bolt is alsowidely extended, so as to give a broad bearing. The spring is accuratelyfaced on both the upper and lower sides by hammering, rolling, orotherwise, so as to preserve all the strength possible in the spring.

In what I esteem the best form of the invention the metal is slightlyupset7 at the several points which are to form the bends, s0 as toafford increased strength at these points. The bolts II, with theirbroad bearing-heads and washers clamping firmly on the springs at theseveral bends, re-enforcc and stiften the metal at these points. Theincreased cross-section of the spring, given by the upsetting, alsocontributes to this end. By the two means the spring is sufiicientlyfortified at these point-s to avoid mischief from the concentration of fthe strains on these portions.

motion of the spring to give a considerable motion to the wagon-body B.The action of the spring is mainly torsional. The parallel portions ofthe folds A3 A each receive the force in a manner tending to twist thematerial. Torsional strains give nearly equal action to all theparticles. Steel is eminently adapted to exert a great resilient forcein this manner, and to endure repeated actions. The longer portionscontained in the folds A4 yield to a greater extent than the shortportions in the folds Ai. The folds AJ are subjected to more leverage,because the fold A* is equivalent in its action on the part A to acorresponding increase in the length of the lever through which thestrain is transmitted to A". I equalize the action on the folds bymaking the folds A shorter than A".

The construction of my spring affords the proper amount of lateralmotion by the ability of the folds to open and close slightly. Underordinary conditions the two parts of each fold stand parallel. When thecarriage is subjected to a strong lateral force, the parts may yield bythe sides of the folds assuming more or less oblique positions, but thenarrowness of the folds limits the amount of lateral yielding. Theconstruction of either spring will allow an indefinite amount ofextension, but as the two springs coact on the opposite sides of thecarriage, any lateral movement of the body relatively to therunninggear, while it tends to open the folds of one spring tends toclose the folds of the other.V The folds are so narrow that only theproper amount of lateral movementis allowed before the parts of themetal touch each other and resist any further lateral movement.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent a modification in which the spring is formed ina single part. The action is substantially the same in this as in theduplex form of spring described, and the strains on the several partsare very similar. By the vertical action of the springs the straightportions of the several folds are subjected to simple torsional forces.By the lateral motions of the wagon-body the folds are alternatelyexpanded and contracted, closing on one side or the other, and resistingfurther strain by the contact of adjacent faces against each other whenthe strain becomes excessive. By the forward and backward motions of thewagon-body the several folds are closed at one end and opened at theother. Their contact at the closed end limits the extent of the motionwhen it tends to become excessive.

\ In the modificationlshown in Figs. 9 and l() the spring iskeyed inabox of malleable castiron or other suitable material, which latter isbolted to the wagon-body.

Fig. l1 shows the washer h developed into a box which nearly inclosesthe sides of the spring at the bend.

Further modifications may be made. The forms and proportions may bevaried within wide limits. I can employ the mode of attachment shown inFigs. 9 and 10 for connecting the duplex spring in Figs. 3 and 4. rIoeffect this the part A5 ofthe spring is forged into a parallel tongueand inserted and secured in the box in the same manner as indicated inFigs. 9 and 10.

I claim as my inventionl. The carriage-spring described, having parallelor nearly parallel convolutions A" A, adapted to serve as hereinspecified.

2. The carriage-spring described, having eonvolutions or folds A: A*increasing in length from the supporting-point A outward, as hereinspecified. i

3. The carriage-spring described, having convolutions A3 A4, with thebends thickened by upsetting, so as to offer a greater crosssection atthose points, substantially as herein specified.

4. A carriage-spring having convolutions IOO IIO

X3-A4; in combination with reenforcing clamps p yIn testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my; ij;v Hilf; adaptedto serve as herein specified.hand;Y @til-New Yor1city3@ .NeW York, this `5th 5g Thei'cztrriage-springdescribed, iny two `dayofDecember,1883;intheipresen of two parts,having-'pairs of convolutionsAaeXtendsubscribingWitnesses;

5- ingfinopposite directions and pairs of conp T l T T1 volutionsji; ofgreater iength, extending also WM* VAB AL DEL' in opposite directions,combined andarranged- Witnesses: to serve' substantially as and for thepurposes l THOM'AsrD. STETSON;

herein specified. Y ZITTEIMJL.

